Mirror for applying eye cosmetics

ABSTRACT

A magnifying cosmetic mirror for use in applying cosmetics at the eye. The cosmetic mirror is constructed to have a base mirror and side mirrors extending at obtuse angles from opposite sides of the base mirror. The side mirrors are constructed as magnifying mirrors, such as spherical concave mirrors, of a focal length that provides a magnifying view of the eye when placed above the base mirror. The magnification of the side mirrors is selected according to the separation of the side mirrors from one another, and the angles at which they extend from the base mirror.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/843,569filed Sep. 2, 2015, which claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), toProvisional Application No. 62/045,122, filed Sep. 3, 2014, bothincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is in the field of mirrors for use in theapplication of cosmetics to the eyes. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure are directed to mirrors used to apply mascara, eyeliner,false eyelashes, and other cosmetics at or near the eyes.

BACKGROUND

Many women, and indeed some men, frequently apply cosmetics of varioustypes at or near their eyes. These cosmetics include those commonlyreferred to as “mascara”, which are in the form of a liquid, cake, orcream composition of pigments, oils, waxes, and preservatives fordarkening, thickening, lengthening, or visibly defining one's eyelashes.Other types of eye cosmetics include false eyelashes, which may be inthe form of individual lashes, eyelash extensions, or full sets oflashes, and which are attached to one's eyelashes or eyelids by way ofan adhesive. Eye liner and eye shadow are other types of eye cosmeticsapplied to the eyelid.

The application of eye cosmetics of these various types to one's owneyes is necessarily awkward. It is easier to apply these cosmetics,particularly false eyelashes, to a closed eye—but of course the eyesmust be open in order to accurately place the cosmetics. Preciseapplication of eye cosmetics to one's own eyes, especially with theprecision required to attach individual false eyelashes, is thusdifficult if not impossible using a conventional plane mirror.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mirror arrangement thatenables a person to view both the top and bottom of her eyelids andeyelashes, to assist in the application of eye cosmetics.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide such a mirror arrangementthat provides significant magnification of the view of the eyelids.

Other advantages and benefits of embodiments of the present disclosurewill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having referenceto this specification.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a mirrorapparatus having a base mirror and first and second side mirrorsattached to the base mirror so as to be positioned at an obtuse anglerelative to the base mirror. The side mirrors have a magnificationselected according to a width of the base mirror and to the obtuseangles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a cosmetic mirror according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1b is a side elevation view of the cosmetic mirror of FIG. 1aaccording to that embodiment.

FIG. 1c is a schematic side view of the mirror surfaces of the cosmeticmirror of FIG. 1a according to that embodiment.

FIG. 1d is a rear view of the cosmetic mirror of FIG. 1a according to analternative implementation of that embodiment.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are perspective views of an implementation of a cosmeticmirror according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 2c and 2d are perspective views of a dual purpose case and basefor the cosmetic mirror of FIGS. 3a and 2 b.

FIGS. 2e and 2f are side elevation views of the cosmetic mirror and baseof FIGS. 2a through 2d , illustrating storage and use, respectively, ofthe mirror according to that embodiment.

FIGS. 3a and 3b are side and plan views of a collapsible mirroraccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3c is a perspective view of a compact mirror according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4a is a schematic side view of the mirror surfaces of a compactcosmetic mirror according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4b is a side perspective view of the compact mirror of FIG. 4 a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The one or more embodiments described in this specification areimplemented into a mirror for use in the application of eye cosmeticssuch as mascara, eyeliner, false eyelashes, and the like, as it iscontemplated that such implementation is particularly advantageous inthat context. However, it is also contemplated that concepts of thepresent disclosure may be beneficially applied to other uses, forexample in the application of other cosmetics. Accordingly, it is to beunderstood that the following description is provided by way of exampleonly, and is not intended to limit the true scope of the presentdisclosure as claimed.

FIGS. 1a through 1d illustrate cosmetic mirror 10 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b ,cosmetic mirror 10 includes base mirror 12 at a surface of base panel16, and two side mirrors 14 a, 14 b at a surface of respective sidepanels 18 a, 18 b. Base panel 16 and side panels 18 a, 18 b may beconstructed of hard plastic, metal, or another relatively stiffmaterial. Side panels 18 a, 18 b are attached to opposing edges(typically parallel to one another) of base panel 16. In thisembodiment, side panels 18 a, 18 b are affixed to the edges of thelonger sides of base panel 16 as shown in FIGS. 1a through 1 d.

Mirrors 12, 14 a, 14 b may be conventional glass or plastic mirrorsattached to base panel 16 and side panels 18 a, 18 b, respectively, oralternatively may be mirrored surfaces of their respective panels 16, 18a, 18 b. According to this embodiment, in which cosmetic mirror 10assists the application of cosmetics such as mascara, false eyelashes ofthe individual and full lash type, eye liner, and the like, mirrors 12,14 a, 14 b are concave mirrors with focal lengths selected so as tomagnify the view of the eye when used. As will be described in furtherdetail below, mirrors 14 a, 14 b are constructed to provide particularmagnification properties for an eye placed at a position, relative tocosmetic mirror 10, at which the user may view both the top eyelid andbottom eyelid without moving her head. In addition, base mirror 12 mayalso be magnifying with the eye at this same location, but may have adifferent magnification power as compared with that of mirrors 14 a, 14b.

According to this example of FIGS. 1a through 1d , base panel 16 haslength 10L that is longer than its width 12W; length 10L is effectivelythe length of the entirety of cosmetic mirror 10, and may be selected asdesired for the particular implementation. In one example, length 10L ison the order of about five inches. Width 12W of base panel 16 in thisexample is on the order of 2¼ inches and defines the distance betweenside mirrors 14 a, 14 b. As will be described in further detail below,this width 12W influences or is influenced by the magnificationproperties of mirrors 14 a, 14 b. The width 12W of base panel 16 may ormay not exactly correspond to the width of base mirror 12, for exampleif base mirror 12 is a concave mirror as described below. The width 14Wof side panels 18 and side mirrors 14 can be selected as desired, solong as that width (along with the angles of side panels 18 from basepanel 16) allows the user to place her eye at a suitable location toview both the top and bottom of her eye. In one example, width 14W mayrange from on the order of about 1 inch to about 3 inches.

As will be evident from this description, cosmetic mirror 10 isconstructed in such a manner to assist the user to apply cosmetics at ornear her eyes. This feature results from each of side panels 18 a, 18 bbeing attached to base panel 16 at, or positionable to, an obtuse angle(i.e., an angle greater than 90°) relative to base panel 16, which inthis embodiment positions side mirrors 14 a, 14 b at an obtuse anglerelative to base mirror 12. As will be described below, because basemirror 12 and side mirrors 14 a, 14 b are magnifying mirrors, such asspherical concave mirrors, these angles correspond to the angles of thetangent lines to those mirrors at their respective vertices, i.e. theangles between those mirrors if constructed as plane mirrors. Accordingto this definition, as shown in FIG. 1b , side mirror 14 a is at obtuseangle θ(a) relative to base mirror 12, and side mirror 14 b is at obtuseangle θ(b) relative to base mirror 12. It is contemplated that anglesθ(a) and θ(b) will typically be equal to one another; alternatively,these angles θ(a) and θ(b) may differ in some implementations. Forexample, each of angles θ(a) and θ(b) may range from about 110° to about160°. As will be described in further detail below, these angles θ(a)and θ(b) also influence or are influenced by the magnificationproperties of mirrors 14 a, 14 b, as will now be described withreference to FIG. 1 c.

According to this embodiment, as mentioned above, side mirrors 14 a, 14b are magnifying mirrors. In particular, side mirrors 14 a, 14 b areeach constructed as substantially spherical concave mirrors with aradius of curvature sufficiently large that, in normal use of cosmeticmirror 10, the user's eye will be at a distance from each of sidemirrors 14 a, 14 b that is shorter than the focal length. For purposesof this description, the term “substantially spherical” refers to asurface that is not perfectly spherical but is sufficiently close tobeing spherical so as to behave similarly to a perfectly sphericalsurface within the context of these embodiments. Because the user's eyeis at a distance from each of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b shorter than thefocal length, the virtual image of the eye in those mirrors will beupright (i.e., not inverted) and magnified.

As mentioned above, the geometry of cosmetic mirror 10, in particularwidth 12W of base panel 16 that defines the distance between sidemirrors 14 a, 14 b, and angles θ(a) and θ(b) of side mirrors 14 a, 14 brelative to base mirror 12, constrains the focal length and thus themagnification of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b. This interaction among width12W, radii of curvature of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b, and angles θ(a) andθ(b) of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b relative to base mirror 12, can beconsidered with reference to equilateral triangle 15 shown in FIG. 1c .In the orientation of FIG. 1c , the user is looking downward intocosmetic mirror 10, with side mirror 14 a below her eye and side mirror14 b above her eye. If the user places her eye E at or near a vertex ofequilateral triangle 15, where one of the sides of equilateral triangle15 is the horizontal distance between side mirrors 14 a, 14 b (e.g., atthe vertices of these concave mirrors), cosmetic mirror 10 isconstructed so that she can see a magnified reflection of her eye fromstraight ahead in base mirror 12 and, without moving her head but onlyby directing the focus of her eye E, can see a magnified reflection ofthe top of her eyelid in the lower-positioned side mirror 14 a and amagnified reflection of the bottom of her eyelid in the upper-positionedside mirror 14 b. In effect, the user sees the top of her eyelid byfocusing downward to side mirror 14 a, and sees the bottom of her eyelidby focusing upward to side mirror 14 b. But in both cases, the view ofher eye is magnified by the curvature of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b,significantly facilitating the application of eye cosmetics according tothis embodiment. The open sides of cosmetic mirror 10, namely the sidesat which side mirrors 14 a, 14 b are not attached, allow access to theeye region by the user so that she can apply the desired cosmeticproducts.

According to one implementation of cosmetic mirror 10, width 12W isabout 2¼ inches and angles θ(a) and θ(b) are equal to each other atθ=120°. In this example, side mirrors 14 a, 14 b are constructed to havea 5× magnification for an object (i.e., user's eye E) at a distanceEYE_DIST of about 4½ inches above the center of base mirror 12 (i.e.,the vertex of equilateral triangle 15). At this position, the user cansee a magnified view of the top of her eyelid in side mirror 14 a and amagnified view of the bottom of her eyelid in side mirror 14 b, as wellas a magnified straight-on view of her eye in base mirror 12, withoutmoving her head.

Changes in any one of the parameters of width 12W of base panel 16 andangles θ(a) and θ(b) can affect the focal length, and thus themagnification, of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b. For example, if width 12W ismade wider, the focal length of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b will need toincrease (i.e., the radius of curvature will increase) in order toensure a magnified upright image of the user's eye at the increaseddistance. Conversely, if the radius of curvature of side mirrors 14 a,14 b is reduced in order to increase the magnification, width 12W ofbase panel 16 will need to decrease, or angles θ(a) and θ(b) will needto decrease, in order for the position of the user's eye E to be closerto side mirrors 14 a, 14 b and stay in front of the focal point of sidemirrors 14 a, 14 b; this situation may also require shortening of theheight of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b above base mirror 12 to accommodatethe user's face at that closer distance. For cosmetic mirror 10 of thedimensions described above, angles θ(a) and θ(b) should range from about110° to about 130°.

It is contemplated that those skilled in the art having reference tothis specification, in particular the relationships among theconstruction parameters and magnifying side mirrors 14 a, 14 b describedabove, will be readily able to construct a particular desired mirrorarrangement without undue experimentation.

Base mirror 12 is also preferably a magnifying mirror in thisembodiment, for example also constructed as a substantially sphericalconcave mirror (curvature not shown in FIG. 1c for the sake of clarity).The magnification of base mirror 12 does not affect the interactingmagnification and angles θ of side mirrors 14 a, 14 b, nor does itdirectly affect width 12W. As such, the magnification of base mirror 12can be independently selected to provide the desired result. For theexample described above in which side mirrors 14 a, 14 b have amagnification of about 5×, base mirror 12 may have a magnification ofabout 10× for eye E in the location shown in FIG. 1 c.

FIG. 1d illustrates the back of one implementation of cosmetic mirror10. In this example, the back side of base panel 16 is provided withoptional adhering strip 17 for mounting cosmetic mirror 10 to a verticalsurface, such as a bathroom mirror. Adhering strip 17 may bemanufactured into base panel 16, or alternatively may be provided as acustomer option, for example in the form of a peel-and-stick strip.Further in the alternative, adhering strip 17 may be constructed as amagnetic strip, so that cosmetic mirror 10 may be removably mounted to avertical surface, or adhering strip 19 may be a double-sided adhesivestrip to provide a more permanent mount. A logo may be provided on theback side of base panel 16, for branding purposes.

FIGS. 2a through 2f illustrate the arrangement of a cosmetic mirrorsystem including cosmetic mirror 10 as described above in combinationwith base 20 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, base 20also serves as a container for mirror 10 when not in use. FIG. 2aillustrates a particular implementation of cosmetic mirror 10 of FIGS.1a through 1d , in which base panel 16′ has short wall portions thatenclose base mirror 12, and in which side panels 18 a′, 18 b′ similarlyhave short wall portions that enclose side mirrors 14 a, 14 b,respectively. In this arrangement, as shown in the bottom perspective ofFIG. 2b , diagonally opposite corners of the underside of base panel 16′are each provided with a circular foot 19 of a selected diameter, andthe other diagonally opposite corners of the underside of base panel 16′are each provided with a circular foot 21 of a larger diameter than thatof feet 19. For example, if base panel 16′ is constructed of moldedplastic, feet 19, 21 may be formed as molded protrusions of the moldedbody forming base panel 16′. It is contemplated that base panel 16′ andside panels 18 a′, 18 b′ may be molded as a unitary whole;alternatively, these elements may be separately molded and then attachedto one another when assembled. In this example shown in FIG. 2b , feet19, 21 are in the shape of a torus; the particular size and shape offeet 19, 21 will correspond to the construction of base 20, as will nowbe described with reference to FIGS. 2c and 2 d.

Base 20 of FIG. 2c is formed as an open-top container, with rectangularbase panel 26, two trapezoidal side panels 24, and two rectangular sidepanels 25. Trapezoidal side panels 24 each have their shorter parallelside attached to a side of base panel 26, so that they extendsubstantially perpendicularly from opposing sides of base panel 26.Rectangular side panels 25 have one side attached to a side of basepanel 26 so as to oppose one another, and to extend away from base panel26 at the angles defined by the non-parallel sides of trapezoidal sidepanels 24. The adjacent sides of panels 25, 26 are attached to oneanother. Base 20 may be constructed of molded plastic, in which casebase panel 26 and side panels 24, 25 may be molded into base 20 as aunitary whole; alternatively, these elements may be separately moldedand then attached to one another when assembled. According to thisembodiment, base panel 26 has an instance of hole 22 at diagonallyopposing corners, while the other pair of diagonally opposing corners ofbase panel 26 has an instance of larger-diameter hole 23. Holes 22 areformed to have a size and a shape corresponding to the size and shape offeet 19 at base panel 16′ of cosmetic mirror 10, and holes 23 are formedto have a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of feet 21at base panel 16′.

In this example, holes 22, 23 in base panel 26 of base 20 are circular,of a size suitable to snugly accept corresponding feet 19, 21,respectively, of base panel 16′ if oriented accordingly. For example,the size of holes 22, 23 may closely match the outer diameter of feet19, 21, respectively. With this close correspondence in sizes, the torusshape of feet 19, 21 will allow some flexure when inserted into theirrespective holes 22, 23, resulting in a snap fit. The diagonalorientation of feet 19 of one size relative to feet 21 of another size,in combination with the similar orientation of holes 22, 23, allow forthis snap fit of cosmetic mirror 10 into base 20 in one orientation ofbase 20, but not with base 20 in another orientation, as will now bedescribed.

Base 20 has a size corresponding to that of cosmetic mirror 10. Morespecifically, the interior volume of base 20 is sized to accommodate theplacement of cosmetic mirror 10 into base 20, with side panels 18 a′, 18b′ of cosmetic mirror 10 along the interior sides of rectangular sidepanels 25 of base 20. FIG. 2e illustrates, in cross-section, cosmeticmirror 10 placed within base 20. It is desirable that the interiorvolume of base 20 be only slightly larger than the exterior dimensionsof cosmetic mirror 10 for a close but not tight fit, as suggested byFIG. 2e . In this embodiment, the orientation of holes 22, 23 of basepanel 26 of base 20 is selected so that larger feet 21 of base panel 16′match up with smaller holes 22 of base panel 26 of base 20 when cosmeticmirror 10 is placed within the interior of base 20, as shown in FIG. 2e. This prevents cosmetic mirror 10 from snapping into place in thisorientation, which is contemplated to be convenient for packaging andinitial use by a purchaser, while still enabling base 20 to providesecure and protective storage for cosmetic mirror 10 when not in use.

In its opposite orientation according to this embodiment, base 20 servesas a stand for cosmetic mirror 10 when in use, as will now be describedrelative to FIG. 2f . This is accomplished by removing cosmetic mirror10 from the interior of base 20, turning base 20 over so as to set itslarger open end on a table or vanity surface, and then setting cosmeticmirror 10 onto base panel 26 of the overturned base 20. In thisorientation, smaller feet 19 will mate with smaller holes 22 of basepanel 26, and larger feet 21 will mate with larger holes 23 of basepanel 26, such that feet 19, 21 fit through and snap into holes 22, 23,respectively, as shown in FIG. 2f . Base 20 thus serves as a stand forcosmetic mirror 10, bringing it closer to a comfortable height so thatthe user can position her eye at the appropriate distance from basemirror 12 and side mirrors 14 a, 14 b in the manner discussed above,without cosmetic mirror 10 at a risk of sliding off base 20.

Alternatively to the use of cosmetic mirror 10 in the orientation ofFIGS. 1c and 2f , in which the user looks down into cosmetic mirror 10,cosmetic mirror 10 may be used in other orientations. For example, ifoptional adhering strip 17 is applied as shown in FIG. 1d , cosmeticmirror 10 may be mounted to a vertical surface, such as a bathroommirror, in which case the user would look straight-ahead toward thevertically-oriented base mirror 12. Further in the alternative, cosmeticmirror 10 may simply be handheld in a comfortable orientation for theuser to apply the desired eye cosmetics. In each of these cases, it iscontemplated that the user will place her eye somewhat close to mirrors12, 14 a, 14 b as discussed above relative to FIG. 1c , to obtain thebenefit of seeing her top and bottom eyelashes in corresponding sidemirrors 14 a, 14 b, while looking directly into base mirror 12 to seeher lashes in direct view.

In each of these arrangements, cosmetic mirror 10 may be reversed in useso that side mirror 14 b is at the top of base mirror 12, and sidemirror 14 a is at the bottom of base mirror 12; if angles θ(a) and θ(b)are the same as one another and if the magnification is the same forside mirrors 14 a, 14 b, no difference in use will result. However, ifthese angles or magnifications differ, different users may find reversalof the angles to be preferable.

Alternative embodiments are contemplated in which hinges are used toattach the side panels and side mirrors to the base panel and basemirror. An example of these alternative embodiments will now bedescribed relative to FIGS. 3a through 3 c.

FIG. 3a illustrates a side view of cosmetic mirror 30 according toanother embodiment. In this example, cosmetic mirror 30 includes basepanel 36 having side panels 38 a, 38 b are attached at its opposingedges. In this example, side panel 38 a is attached to an edge of basepanel 36 by way of hinge 39 a, and side panel 38 b is attached to anedge of base panel 36 by way of hinge 39 b. Hinges 39 a, 39 b fold theirrespective side panels 38 a, 38 b inwardly toward base panel 36, forexample to allow cosmetic mirror 30 to fold closed. FIG. 3b illustratescosmetic mirror 30 in a fully closed position (with a logo on theoutside of one of side panels 38, for branding purposes).

As shown in FIG. 3a , a gap may be provided between the edges of basepanel 36 and side panels 38 a, 38 b, at hinges 39 a, 39 b, respectively,to define a maximum angle to which side panels 38 a, 38 b may be opened.This maximum angle may be the preferred angle for use in the applicationof mascara, or alternatively hinges 39 a, 39 b may be constructed tohold the position of side panels 38 a, 38 b at any angle between closedand this maximum angle, as desired by the user.

Cosmetic mirror 30 of this embodiment may be constructed of a sizesuitable for home use, similar to that described above relative to FIGS.1a through 1d . However, the provision of hinges 39 a, 39 b and thefoldability of cosmetic mirror 30 of this embodiment is especiallysuited for a “travel size” model. As shown in FIG. 3c , an example oftravel size cosmetic mirror 30′ has a length 30L of on the order of 2⅛inches, with width 32W of base mirror 312 and base panel 36 on the orderof 1½ inches, and widths 34W of each side panel 38 and side mirror 34 onthe order of ½ inch. Again, the sizes of panels 36, 38 of this foldablecosmetic mirror 30 may of course vary, depending on the desiredimplementation.

Referring now to FIGS. 4a and 4b , foldable cosmetic mirror 40 accordingto another embodiment will now be described, with reference to aschematic side view of mirror 40 in an open position. Cosmetic mirror 40of this embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIGS. 3a through 3c bythe absence of a base mirror and corresponding base panel. Rather,cosmetic mirror 40 in this embodiment is constructed to have two sidepanels 46 a, 46 b joined to one another along corresponding edges bylinear hinge 42, as shown in FIG. 4b . Side panels 46 a, 46 b haveconcave mirrors 44 a, 44 b disposed on their facing sides; mirrors 44 a,44 b may be constructed as mirrored concave surfaces of side panels 46a, 46 b or may be mirrors that are attached to surfaces of side panels46 a, 46 b, as discussed above. In this embodiment, hinge 42 allows sidepanels 46 a, 46 b to open and close upon one another (i.e., with mirrors44 a, 44 b, shown in an exaggerated fashion in the schematic view ofFIG. 4a , closed upon one another). Preferably, hinge 42 can lock sothat each of concave mirrors 44 a, 44 b is at a preferred angle ϕrelative to one another, as shown in FIG. 4a for mirror 44 b. In thisembodiment, angle ϕ is the angle between the tangent lines to concavemirrors 44 a, 44 b at their respective vertices. This angle ϕ may be themaximum angle to which mirror 40 opens, or alternatively may beindicated by a detent or other mechanism for holding mirror 40 at thatangle ϕ. It is contemplated that compact foldable mirror 40 willtypically be handheld when used in the application of eye cosmetics.

According to this embodiment, mirrors 44 a, 44 b are constructed to havefocal lengths (i.e., radii of curvature) that, in combination with angleϕ, allow the user to place her eye E at the vertex of an equilateraltriangle 45 such that she can see a magnified reflection of the top ofher eyelid by focusing downward to lower-positioned side mirror 44 a anda magnified reflection of the bottom of her eyelid by focusing upward tothe upper-positioned side mirror 44 b, without moving her head. In oneexample, mirrors 44 a, 44 b are constructed to have focal lengths thatprovide a magnification of about 5× for eye E at when open to an angle ϕof about 60°, for the case in which points near the vertices of mirrors44 a, 44 b are about a distance of about 3¾ inches from one another(i.e., the length of one side of equilateral triangle 45). Accordingly,it is contemplated that compact mirror 40 according to this embodimentwill provide a convenient compact mirror that can significantlyfacilitate the application of eye cosmetics.

While one or more embodiments have been described in this specification,it is of course contemplated that modifications of, and alternatives to,these embodiments, such modifications and alternatives capable ofobtaining one or more the advantages and benefits of the presentdisclosure, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the arthaving reference to this specification and its drawings. It iscontemplated that such modifications and alternatives are within thescope of the present disclosure as subsequently claimed herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A cosmetic mirror comprising: a base mirrorat a surface of a base panel having two long sides and two short sides;and first and second side mirrors at surfaces of a first and a secondside panel respectively, the first and the second side panels affixed toopposing parallel edges of the two long sides of the base panel, whereineach of the first and second side mirrors is substantially concave, ispositioned at an obtuse angle relative to the base mirror, has a greaterthan 1× magnification selected according to a width of the base panelbetween the first and second side panels and according to the angles ofthe first and second side mirrors relative to the base mirror, and has aradius of curvature oriented to provide a distance from each of thefirst and second side mirrors shorter than the focal length.
 2. Thecosmetic mirror of claim 1 wherein when the radius of curvature of eachof the first and second side mirrors decreases, the angles of the firstand second side mirrors increases so that a user's eye stays in front ofthe focal point of the first and second side mirrors.
 3. The cosmeticmirror of claim 1 wherein the obtuse angle of each of the first andsecond side mirrors is equal.
 4. The cosmetic mirror of claim 1 whereinthe focal length of each of the first and second side mirrors produces amagnified upright virtual image of an object at a location correspondingto a vertex of an equilateral triangle between the first and second sidemirrors having sides of a length corresponding to a distance between thefirst and second side mirrors.
 5. The cosmetic mirror of claim 1 whereinthe first and the second side panels are affixed to opposing paralleledges of the two long sides of the base panel through a first hinge anda second hinge, respectively.
 6. The cosmetic mirror of claim 5 whereinthe first and second hinges move the first and second side panelsrelative to one another between a closed position and an open positionat a selected angle.
 7. The cosmetic mirror of claim 6 wherein theselected angle is the maximum open position of the first and secondhinges.
 8. The cosmetic mirror of claim 5 wherein each of the first andsecond hinges has a detent at the selected angle.
 9. The cosmetic mirrorof claim 1 further comprising: an adhering strip attached or attachableto a back surface of the base panel.
 10. The cosmetic mirror of claim 1wherein magnification of the base mirror differs from the magnificationof the first and second side mirrors.
 11. A cosmetic mirror comprising:first and second side mirrors at surfaces of a first and a second sidepanel respectively, the first and the second side panels joined to oneanother along corresponding edges through a linear hinge, wherein thefirst and second side mirrors are substantially concave, are positionedat an obtuse angle relative to one another, have a greater than 1×magnification selected according to the angles of the first and secondside mirrors, and have a radius of curvature oriented to provide adistance from each of the first and second side mirrors shorter than thefocal length.
 12. The cosmetic mirror of claim 11 wherein the linearhinge locks at a maximum angle to which the cosmetic mirror opens. 13.The cosmetic mirror of claim 11 further comprising: a detent which holdsthe linear hinge at a selected angle when the cosmetic mirror is open.14. The cosmetic mirror of claim 11, wherein the first and second sidemirrors have focal lengths that, in combination with the selected angle,allow a user's eye to be placed at the vertex of an equilateral trianglesuch that the user can see a magnified reflection of the top of theuser's eyelid by focusing on the first or second side mirror withoutmoving his/her head.
 15. A cosmetic mirror comprising: a base panelhaving two long sides, two short sides and a mirrored surface; and firstand second side panels affixed to opposing parallel edges of the twolong sides of the base panel, each of the first and second side panelshaving a mirrored surface, wherein the mirrored surface of each of thefirst and second side panels is substantially concave, wherein each ofthe first and second side panels is positioned at an obtuse anglerelative to the base panel, wherein the mirrored surfaces of the firstand second side panels have a greater than 1× magnification selectedaccording to a width of the base panel between the first and second sidepanels and according to the angles of the first and second side panelsrelative to the base panel, and wherein the mirrored surfaces of thefirst and second side panels have a radius of curvature oriented toprovide a distance from the mirrored surfaces of each of the first andsecond side panels shorter than the focal length.
 16. The cosmeticmirror of claim 15 wherein the mirrored surfaces of the base panel andthe first and second side panels are mirrors attached to the base paneland the first and second side panels, respectively.
 17. The cosmeticmirror of claim 15 wherein the mirrored surfaces of the first and secondside panels have magnification at which a user can view the top eyelidand the bottom eyelid of the user's eye without moving his/her head. 18.The cosmetic mirror of claim 15 wherein the focal length of the mirroredsurfaces of each of the first and second side panels produces amagnified upright virtual image of an object at a location correspondingto a vertex of an equilateral triangle between the mirrored surfaces ofthe first and second side panels having sides of a length correspondingto a distance between the first and second side panels.
 19. The cosmeticmirror of claim 15 wherein the obtuse angle of the first side panelrelative to the base panel is equal to the obtuse angle of the secondside panel relative to the base panel.
 20. The cosmetic mirror of claim15 wherein the mirrored surface of the base panel is substantiallyconcave.